Coating apparatus



Aug. 3 1926. 1,594,991

w. E. BARLOW COATING APPARATUS Filed 001:. 6, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 COATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 6, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W7TNESSE& INVENYDR: W Williamfiifiarlmq n4 W WW BY M d5 d1 m E b ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 3 1926. I 1,594,991

. w. E. BARLOW COATING APPARATUS Filed Oct 6 1923 5 Sh is-Sheet 5 WIT ESSES: INVENTOR: izf Q WL'ZZZamE-BarZOU BY M 21.1% [62% ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

UNITED STATES V 1,594,991- PATENT OFFICE- WILLIAM E. BAIRLO'W, OF TREVOSE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO HENRY A. DYGEBT,

I PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

comma APPARATUS.

Application filed October a, 1923. Serial No. 866,981,

My invention relates to coating apparatus more especially of a type useful in coating articles, such as rece tacles of! paper or cardboard designed or dispensing food products or beverages, with a surfacing of parafline or the like so as to make them impervious to liquids.

My invention is directed chiefly toward provision of an apparatus of the character defined whereby the operation of coating articles of hollow configuration may be carried on in a continuous manner with assur-' ance of complete and uniform coatin of the articles, both interiorly and exterior y, notwithstanding economical use of the coating material.

Other objects and. attendant advantages of my invention will be readily apparent from the detailed description which follows of a typical embodiment thereof, and its scope as readily understood from the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a perspective view. of a coating apparatus or machine conveniently showing my invention.

' Figs. II and III when taken together constitute a complete longitudinal sectional eleva-tion of the structure. Fig. IV is a transverse section taken as indicated by the arrows IV--IV in Fig. III.

Fig. V is a fragmentary detail view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the drive mechanism for the conveyor whereby the articles are carried through the apparatus, and

5 showing also associated'instrumentalities for actuating the means whereby the articles are stripped from the conveyor after coating.

Fig. VI is a detail view in perspective showing the manner in which the individual holder clips for the articles are supported in serlal groups crosswise between the sprocket chains of the conveyor; and

Fig. VII shows the details of the means which I employ to stabilize the conveyor against the action of the stripper at the region where the coated articles are ejected from the apparatus.

-As herein shown, my improved coating apparatus comprises an elongated enclosure 1 affording longitudinal communicating draining and cooling compartments respectively designated comprehensively by the numerals 2 and 3. The enclosure is traversed by an endless conveyor 4 consisting 55 of a pair of spaced sprocket chains.,5, 5

having a general horizontal course through I the enclosure except at the end of the drainlng chamber 2 where they are directed downwardly to carry the containers 0 to be coated into the coating solution maintained in a trough or vat 6, see Fig. III. The course of the conveyor is determined by a number of sprocket wheels grouped in pairs and indicated at 7, 8, 9, 10, about which the chains 5 are respectively trained, sagging of the chains being prevented by a double series of idlers 11 suitably supported by the horizontal side rails 1212 of the structural frame of the machine. The sprockets 7, it will be noted from Fig. II are fixed to a shaft 13 journalled in bearings that are sustained by an extension 14 of the machine frame so that the conveyor is brought to theexterior for convenience of access in loading. Actuation of the conveyor is eifected by motion of the sprocket shaft 13 derived through-coordination of spur gears 15, 16 see Fig. V, from the main or driving shaft of the machine indicated at 17. The main shaft 17 is equipped with a power pulley 18 capable of being clutched or unclutched by proper shifting of a lever 19 controllable through an associated slide rod 20, which, as shown in Fig. I, has a grasp handle 21 located at a point accessible for convenient manipulation by an attendant. The slide rod 20 is guided in fittings 22 secured to the top of an arcuate protective guard 23 which shrouds the por tion of the conveyor 4 that protrudes to the exterior beyond the foward end of the enclosure 1.

Spanning the conveyor chains 5-5 at intervals, are transverse bars 25 each car-; rying a line or series of clips 26 designed for individually supporting the containers C from. within. More especially from Fig.

VI, it will be noted that each of the clips comprises a group or cluster of spring prongs 27 which are relatively convergent to accord with the tapered configuration of theficontainers' C, and slightly rounded 'as at 28 to frictionally engage the containers with minimum contact although capable of readily supporting them in suspension as they are carried through the coating fluid in the trough or vat 6. The holder prongs 27 are securelyanchored in plates 29 bolted or otherwise secured to the cross bars 25, said plates being cut away centrally at one her 2 so as to facilitate drainage of any edge as indicated at 30 in Fig. VI, to afiord clearances for a purpose which w11l become apparent from further description.

In the course of operating the machine an attendant is stationed at the far side thereof as considered in Figs. I and II adjacent the protruding portlon of the conveyor 4 to place the containers C on the clips 26 as the latter successively present themselves after rounding the sprockets 7.. Under slow pro ession of the conveyor 4, the containers are carried horizontally through the two sections or subdivisions of the enclosure until the sprockets 8 are encountered. ,From this point the direction of travel is vertically downward as best seen from Fig. III so that the containers G are carried into and throu h the coating solution in the vat 6. As t e convevor 4 travels about the sprockets 9, it is to be especially noted that the containers 0 make a semi-rotation from a horizontal position as they enter the coating bath, to a corresponding though inverted horizontal position as they emerge from the bath, and that the path defined by the sprockets is such as to efiect total sub: mergence of the articles in the bath. As a consequence of the foregoing, complete coating both of the interior and exterior of the containers C is assured, the surplus scooped up during progression through the bath draining back into the trough on the approach of said containers to the horizontal as they leave the trough or vat 6. Inorder to accelerate expulsion of the surplus, ,the conveyor 4 is purposely angulary diverted, in the interval between the sprockets 9 and 10.

After rounding the sprockets 10, the conveyor 4 retraces a horizontal course throu h the enclosure 1 to the point of starting. s the coated containers C pass through the chamber 2, any excess drippings are collected upon a sloping apron 31 in the bottom of said chamber and conducted thereby back into the trough or vat 6. When parafiine or the like is'used as the coating, I make provision for heating the chamexoess, preferably by disposing a heating coil 32 with one or more vertically disposed convolutions at each side along the return run of the conveyor 4 and at a level proximate the path of the suspended containers C. Flow of the accumulation on the apron 31 is romoted by disposal therebeneath of a co1 bank 33 whose longitudinal pipes 34 extend between transverse headers or manifolds 35-36 at opposite ends thereof, as will be best understood from Figs III and IV. The heating medium is sup-plied by a main 37 descending from overhead and whereto the side coils are connected in parallel by branch pipes 38 extending from the point of juncture with said main to first brid e the enclosure, and thence downward y along the sides of the latter to the coils 32. The side coils 32 are in turn jointly connected in series with the coil bank 33, their terminals joining opposite ends of the header 35 of the coil bank in Figs. III and IV. This method of coil connection is purposely resorted to with a view toward obtaining the most effective heat distribution.

If desired the heating jacket 40 of the trough or vat 6 may be supplied b a separate pipe connection, but better still to preserve the simplicity of the heating system, the same is herein shown as communicative with the coil bank 33 through a pipe 41 that leads from the center of the manifold 36.

In the passage through the chamber or 33 as indicated at 39' compartment 3, the coatlng on the containers G? is given time to congeal or harden before the latter are ejected in a manner, to be presently explained as the conveyor'4 passes to the exterior of the enclosure 1. The side walls 42 of chamber3 are carried well downward toward its bottom 43 so as to afford the articles the necessary protection against dust though leaving amply proportioned longitudinal openings 44 to insure free circulation of air.

As a means for ejecting the containers (3' from the apparatus, I provide a stripper mechanism which includes a transverse shaft 45 appropriately journalled inbearings supported by the frame extension 14,

said shaft having secured thereon a series of collars 46 wherefrom extend individual stripper fingers 47 (see Figs. II and V) corresponding in number to, and disposed in line with the holder clips 26 on the respective cross bars 25 of the conveyor 4. These fingers 47 normally occu y the inclined position shown with their ree ends at a level immediately above the tops of the oncoming containers C. As the containers C pass beneath the fingers 47 the latter are swung in a direction opposed to the movement of the conveyor (as indicated by the arrow in Fig. V, and asv permitted by the cut outs 30 in the plates, of the clips 26) thereby releasing said containers 0 from the holder clips 26 to drop into a chute 48 (Fig. I) designed to direct them to a suitable collecting receptacle, not shown. Rocking of the shaft 45 to bring about this result must of course be in shaft 51 which is driven by a gear 52 that intermeshes with the gear 15 aforedescribed as mounted on the sprocket shaft 13. A

contractile spring 53 serves to maintain the roller arm 49 at all times in cooperative engagement with the cam 50, while the lower run of the conveyor 4 is stabilized to oppose the action of the stripper fingers 47 by provision,vat the region of ejection of the containers C, of side guide. brackets 55 Fig. II supported by the frame extension 14 and engaging the sprocket chains 5, as best shown in Figs. II and VII.

Although I have described my invention in connection with arafiining receptacles of paper, the same may be employed wit h equal advantages in coating other articles with different surfacings, the nature of the particular coating employed determining the atmospheric conditions which should be maintained within the enclosure to obtain the desired results.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of an enclosure having a vat for coating solution at one end, means for heating the vat and enclosure, an exten- 7 sion at the other end of the enclosure effective for cooling purposes, and means for conveying articles, first, through the vat and heated enclosure to permit draining of any excess solution, and thereafter through the extension for cooling.

2. In apparatus of the character described,

the combination of a vat for molten coating solution, an enclosure, means for conveying articles coated with the solution horizontally through the enclosure to permit draining of any excess, heating coils with vertically arranged convolutions at opposite sides of the enclosure in close proximity to the passing articles so as to facilitate draining, an apron beneath the conveying means for collecting and conducting away the accumula tion, and a horizontal coil underlying the apron for promoting flow of the coating falling on saidgapron, the vertical side coils being connected in parallel with the source of supply and jointly in series with the horizontal coil.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a vat for molten coating solution, a conveyor, clip means on said conveyor each comprising a plurality of spring prongs for frictionally engaging the articles from Within to support them during progression through the apparatus, and intermittently rockable fingers for stripping the articles after being coated from the clips and ejecting them from the apparatus.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 29th day of September 1923.

WILLIAM E. BARLOW. 

